Droplet ejecting apparatus, electro-optic device, electronic apparatus, and droplet ejecting method

Abstract

A droplet ejecting apparatus includes a stage which holds a substrate; R (red), G (green), and B (blue) head groups for ejecting droplets of the R, G, and B colors, respectively, each of the head groups including at least one head; and a carriage which holds the R, G, and B head groups. In the apparatus, droplets of the R, G, and B colors are ejected to R, G, and B colored portions on the substrate from the R, G, and B head groups, respectively, during movement of the carriage relative to the stage in a first direction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Technical Field [0002] The present invention relates to a droplet ejecting apparatus, an electro-optic device, an electronic apparatus, and a droplet ejecting method. Specifically, the present invention relates to a droplet ejecting apparatus suitable for applying a liquid material to regions periodically arranged in a color filter substrate, a color matrix display, or the like, an electro-optic device, an electronic apparatus, and a droplet ejecting method. [0003] 2. Related Art [0004] For example, a spin coating method, which is a thin-film forming method, is generally used for forming a thin film. In the spin coating method, a liquid material is applied in the form of droplets to a substrate, and then the substrate is rotated to spread the liquid material over the entire surface of the substrate by centrifugal force, thereby forming a thin film. The thickness of the thin film is controlled by controlling the rotational speed, the rotation hol...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] An advantage of the invention is to provide a droplet ejecting apparatus, an electro-optic device, an electronic apparatus, and a droplet ejecting method which are capable of decreasing the number of steps for drawing in three colors R, G, and B on a substrate, thereby decreasing the manufacturing cost.

[0011] In order to solve the problem and achieve the advantage, a droplet ejecting apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a stage for holding a substrate, head groups for R, G, and B colors for ejecting droplets of R, G, and B colors, respectively, each of the head groups comprising at least one head, and a carriage for holding the head groups for the R, G, and B colors so that the head groups overlap each other in a first direction. In the apparatus, during movement of the carriage relative to the stage in the first direction, droplets of the R, G, and B colors are ejected to R, G, and B colored portions on the substrate from the head groups for the R, G, and B colors, respectively.

[0012] During movement of the carriage relative to the stage in the first direction, the droplets of the R, G, and B colors are ejected to R, G, and B colored portions from the head groups for the R, G, and B colors, respectively. Thus, during one relative movement in the first direction, drawing can be performed in all of the R, G, and B colored portions within the plotting width of the head group. Therefore, drawing in three colors R, G, and B can be simultaneously performed on the substrate by one step. As a result, the droplet ejecting apparatus is capable of decreasing the number of the steps in drawing in the three colors R, G, and B on the substrate and decreasing the manufacturing cost.

[0013] In the present invention, each of the R, G, and B colored portions preferably has a substantially rectangular planar shape determined by long and short sides, and the stage preferably holds the substrate so that the long side is parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the short side is parallel to the first direction. As a result, stripe-shaped R, G, and B colored portions can be drawn.

[0014] The nozzle arrays of the heads in the head groups for the R, G, and B colors are preferably arranged in parallel to the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. As a result, high-definition drawing can be performed within a wide drawing width.

[0015] The nozzle arrays of the heads in each of the head groups for the R, G, and B colors are preferably arranged in a direction oblique to the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. As a result, high-definition drawing can be performed within a wide drawing width.

Problems solved by technology

However, in the spin coating method, the supplied liquid material is mostly scattered, and thus a large amount of the liquid material is required to increase waste and manufacturing cost.

However, the above-mentioned related art has the problem that the same step is must be repeated three times for drawing in the three colors R, G, and B on a substrate, thereby increasing the number of the steps and manufacturing cost.

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